Review of "Entropy: A Science Fiction Novel" by Dana Hayward

The year is 2066 and the Earth is experiencing dire troubles. There's flooding of landmasses, bad air, contaminated water, disappearance of wildlife, shortage of food, and other difficulties.

The lack of food in particular causes mass unrest in the United States, with riots, violence, rape, killing, looting, and so on.



Worse yet, it appears the entire planet is dying, and won't sustain life of any kind for much longer. In the circumstances, a new religious movement is established in America, as people seek comfort in difficult circumstances.

U.S. President Kim - an anthropologist by training - consults with her advisors, and they decide on a plan to establish a human colony on the moon.



This will put a small segment of humanity out of harm's way, but even more importantly, the lunar colony will grow food plants that can survive harsh circumstances. These plants are being created by an innovative botanist named John McCabe, and the botanicals will feed the moon colonists AND provide seeds that can grow on the moribund Earth, to relieve the starving populations.



A number of dedicated individuals are tasked with establishing and maintaining the American lunar colony, which is named Diaspora. These include Jeffrey Patel - a brilliant physicist, engineer, and entrepreneur;



Gabriel Farigola - a lunar ecologist and space administrator;



Captain Joanne Wakefield - commander of America's two space stations (USS Kennedy and USS Armstrong) who's being reassigned to command Diaspora;



John McCabe - the botanist;



Mercedes Fontaine - an activist and diplomat who functions as a liasion between Diaspora and President Kim; and more.



Physicist Jeffrey Patel and botanist John McCabe come to believe that the Earth is dying because of a newly discovered force called Entropy. Entropy functions to deconstruct matter, and it's causing the deterioration of everything on Earth. The scientists believe that if Entropy can be controlled, the Earth might (eventually) be saved.

The establishment of the moon colony Diaspora goes smoothly enough, but there's trouble on the horizon. China has built it's own lunar colony, named Jiā, which is only a few hundred kilometers from Diaspora. Moreover, China's colony is not a research facility, but a military one. China's President Liu plans to invade Diaspora and take it over, which leads to some riveting combat scenes.



Meanwhile there's also some drama back on Earth, where treachery is afoot.

In addition to adventure and action, the book touches on some important human relationships, like the bond between diplomat Mercedes Fontaine and her earthbound parents; Commander Wakefield taking space cadet/aide-de-camp Ned Henson under her wing; the association of Chinese and American lunar colonists; the romance between Mercedes Fontaine and botanist John McCabe; etc.



The author has clearly done his research, and the science fiction elements of the novel have a good dollop of real science. For example, there's an excellent scene in which colonists take off for space, and I could almost sense the vibrating rocket ship and the feeling of being squished by gravity (which is like being sat on by an elephant). There are also fine descriptions of the space stations, lunar colonies, lunar vehicles, methods of getting air and water on the moon, and more.



The story leads to a satisfying climax which leaves room for a sequel.

I listened to the audiobook, which was well-narrated. I like the story and recommend it to science fiction fans.

Thanks to Netgalley, Dana Hayward, and Widow's Watch Publishing for a copy of the book.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "Every Cloak Rolled In Blood: A Holland Family Saga Novel" by James Lee Burke

 

'Every Cloak Rolled In Blood' is the 4th book in James Lee Burke's 'Holland Family Saga', and is the writer's most autobiographical novel to date. Burke's daughter Pamela died of natural causes in 2020, causing Burke and his wife profound grief and sorrow. The author transfers some of that heartache to the lead character in this book, 85-year-old Aaron Holland Broussard. As the story opens, Broussard has lost his 54-year-old daughter Fannie Mae in very sad circumstances, and would do anything to see her again.

Aaron Holland Broussard lives on a ranch in Missoula, Montana, near the Flathead Reservation.



Broussard has an eclectic background. He grew up in Lousiana and Texas, fought in the Korean War, studied journalism, and eventually became a successful fiction writer. Many of Broussard's books have been adapted into films, and he's now a wealthy man. Being a 'liberal Hollywood bigwig' puts Broussard on the radar of his far-right Montana neighbors, who don't want him in their midst.

As the story opens, a red Ford-150 pulls into Broussard's yard.....



......and a gangly teenage boy jumps out, paints a swastika on Aaron's barn door, pees in Broussard's cattle guard, and hops back in the truck.



As the vehicle - which has an older man in the passenger seat - drives away, the boy shoots Broussard the bird and shouts, "You don't belong here. Go somewhere else."

Broussard calls 911 and State Trooper Ruby Spotted Horse arrives to take a report.



Thirtysomething Ruby - who seems taken with Aaron - says he looks younger than his age and resembles the actor Sam Shephard.



Ruby tells Broussard to stay away from the white supremacists, who mule meth and may have something to do with the many murdered and missing Montana Indian women.

Aaron tracks down the duo that defaced his property, who turn out to be John Fenimore Culpepper - a former imperial wizard in the Alabama Klan, and Culpepper's son Leigh.





Broussard says he won't file charges against the culprits if they repaint his barn door, but daddy Culpepper has an attitude, and Broussard struggles to contain his temper. Aaron suffers from blackouts, during which he becomes belligerent and violent, and he fights to keep a rein on his anger, to avoid killing someone.

Broussard stops by Ruby Spotted Horse's house to tell her about the Culpeppers, and hears loud bangs and thuds coming from a locked basement door.



Ruby tries to blow it off, but finally admits that evil spirits called the 'Old People' are in her cellar, and they mean to harm living people. The worst of the bunch is the ghost of Major Eugene Baker, a commander in the U.S. cavalry who led a massacre of the Blackfeet Indians - including women, children, infants, and the elderly - in 1870. Moreover, for malevolent reasons of his own, Major Baker makes it his business to personally haunt Broussard.



Meanwhile, Broussard's wish to see his daughter Fannie Mae comes to pass, as her wraith comes back to comfort her dad and to advise him about dealing with the malicious ghosts.



Broussard experiences additional 'living people' trouble when he sees two young brothers, Clayton and Jack Wetzel, sneak onto his property with guns and a hammer....probably planning to kill him.



Aaron catches and disarms the boys, then - thinking they had a terrible childhood - gives them a break and lets them go. Aaron even gives Jack a job on the ranch, fixing fences, chopping wood, etc.

Things in the region escalate as several people are brutally murdered, perhaps by humans; perhaps by spectres. In addition, Broussard starts to see visions of the past, like his brutal killing of an enemy soldier during the Korean war - which still haunts him; the Blackfeet Indians futilely trying to escape from Major Baker's murderous troops; and more.



In addition, Aaron broods about the baser instincts of humanity, as demonstrated by the historic treatment of slaves; people's refusal to wear masks during the pandemic; corrupt politicians; white supremacy; and so on.

Over the course of the story, Broussard interacts with many people, including Missoula Sheriff Jeremiah McNally, who blows off Aaron's tale about evil spirits and suggests Aaron is mentally ill;



tribal policeman Ray Bronson - Ruby Spotted Horse's jealous ex-husband, who she describes as a dirty cop and the most selfish person she's ever known;



Sister Ginny Stokes - pastor of a church that caters to drug-selling bikers;



Jimmie Kale - a murderous drug lord who's said to bury people alive; and more.



On the lighter side, Ruby Spotted Horse and Aaron have a romantic attraction, despite the difference in their ages.

The story builds to a compelling climax that wraps things up in a satisfactory fashion.

In addition to being a deft hand at characterization, Burke's talent for depicting landscape and atmosphere is unrivalled. For instance, describing Pablo, Montana, Aaron notes, "The vastness of the country, the enormity of the Mission Mountains, is literally breathtaking. The ranches, particularly the old ones with giant slat barns, seem miniaturized and clinging to the earth."



And talking about an outing with Ruby Spotted Horse, Broussard notes, "We...pop out on a vista that makes you dizzy. Down below is a lake that resembles a blue teardrop among evergreen forests that roll over hills as far as the eye can see."



James Lee Burke says this is the best book he's ever written. I'm not sure about that since I'm a big fan of Burke's Detective Dave Robicheaux series. Nevertheless, this is a good story, well worth reading.

Thanks to Netgalley, James Lee Burke, and Simon and Shuster for a copy of the book.

Rating: 4 stars

Review of "Sleuthing in Stilettos: A Resale Boutique Mystery" by Debra Sennefelder

 

In this 5th book in the 'Resale Boutique Mystery' series, store owner/amateur sleuth Kelly Quinn investigates the murder of a shoe store proprietor. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.

*****

Twentysomething Kelly Quinn owns an upscale consignment shop called 'The Lucky Cove Resale Boutique' in the town of Lucky Cove on Long Island.



In addition to running the store, Kelly writes a weekly newsletter about fashion and clothing, and leads the 'Shop Small Lucky Cove' campaign. Shop Small takes place between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and encourages consumers to patronize local businesses during the holiday season.



Kelly wants proprieters of local stores to get involved with the Shop Small campaign. This includes Miranda Farrell, the recently arrived owner of a luxury shoe shop called 'Miranda & James.'



Kelly notices that most residents of Lucky Cove are hostile to Miranda, and - being a natural-born nosybody - Kelly wants to know why.



Thus Kelly learns that Miranda lived in Lucky Cove twenty years ago, was married twice, and both her husbands died....after which Miranda left town. Moreover, Miranda's first husband embezzled a large amount of money, and wiped out the retirement funds of numerous Lucky Cove citizens. The locals think Miranda helped steal the moola and made off with it, and they're furious that Miranda came back.

As it happens, Kelly is very taken with a pair of black D'Orsay pumps in Miranda's store....



.....and Kelly takes her friends Breena and Liv to see the pumps.



Shockingly, the women find Miranda's dead body, with Kelly's Uncle Ralph standing over the corpse. Irascible Uncle Ralph has been seen arguing with Miranda in public, and he becomes the number one suspect for her murder.



Kelly wants to prove that her uncle is innocent and sets out to find the real killer, against the explicit instructions of her boyfriend, police detective Nate Barber.



Kelly's method of investigation is to find out who disliked Miranda, and to ask each person, "Where were you on the morning of the murder?" This is a bumbling approach for even the most unskilled amateur detective and it doesn't work.

Meanwhile, Kelly seems to be losing it. She apparently forgets to lock her front door; allows her cat into the boutique, which upsets an allergic customer; messes up a text message to her boyfriend; misplaces her car key; etc. Kelly is pretty sure she didn't do any of this, and tries to suss out what's going on.



In the course of the story Kelly finds another dead body; formulates a number of theories about the murders; navigates numerous red herrings; and finally discovers the real killer....endangering her life along the way.

Cozies usually have a hook in addition to the murder mystery, and for this series it's fashion. Kelly is very clothes-conscious and describes her outfits, and that of other characters, in some detail. For instance, on a cool day Kelly reaches for her camel-colored coatigan, a sweater that could be a coat when it's very chilly;



Then, when Kelly's leaving her boutique one afternoon, she pauses at a mirror to admire her short-sleeved black top tucked into a leopard print wrap skirt;



And a true-crime writer who wants to interview Kelly wears a houndstooth patterned top and black side-vent ankle pants.



Though Kelly's amateur sleuthing is a bit clumsy and aggressive, this is an enjoyable cozy mystery, recommened to fans of the genre.

Thanks to Netgalley, Debra Sennefelder, and Kensington Publishing for a copy of the book.

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "I Almost Forgot About You: A Novel" by Terry McMillan

 

Georgia Young, a 54-year-old African-American optometrist who lives in San Francisco.....



.....has been divorced twice and has two grown daughters - Estelle and Frankie - one from each hubby. Though Georgia appears to be doing well, she feels the need for a change in her life, especially after she learns an old beau has died unexpectedly. So Georgia decides to put her house on the market, sell her share of the optometry practice, take some classes, and look up her former husbands and boyfriends....to tell them what they meant to her. Along the way Georgia would like to find love again, though she's pessimistic about the possibility, particularly since her first husband Michael was a cheater and her second husband Niles was difficult and controlling.

Georgia's best friends Wanda - who's rich and likes to do needlepoint, and Violet - who's a successful sports attorney.....



.....encourage her efforts to find new love, or at least to have sex with someone, since Georgia has been 'chaste' for years. Wanda is quite pushy about this, and thinks almost any man will do for the purpose, whether he's single, married, whatever. (Wanda is a fun character who provides many of the light moments in the novel.)

Georgia's former spouses show up rather serendipitously since Michael is moving back to California and Niles has completed his prison sentence for a white collar crime. Georgia finds she's able to make peace with the ex-husbands, and feels encouraged to use Facebook, Google, and social media to locate the boyfriends who 'got away' for one reason or another. As Georgia contemplates her old beaus, we learn that she falls in love rather easily, especially with good-looking men who are 'good in bed.' 🙂



Meanwhile, there's a lot going on in Georgia's life. Georgia's oldest daughter Estelle, who has twin girls with her husband Justin, seems to be having financial problems.



Georgia's youngest daughter Frankie has quit college in New York and come home, heartbroken because her boyfriend cheated on her.



Georgia's house has to be 'staged' for sale, which is expensive and requires her to move out temporarily.



Georgia's octagenarian mother Earlene is engaged and planning her wedding.



Georgia's friend Violet is having serious problems. And Georgia has decided to take a train trip to Vancouver and across Canada, to sightsee and have quiet time for herself.

In the course of the story, Georgia locates some of her past loves and meets a few new men along the way, at a wedding, high school reunion, birthday party, etc.



Georgia is smart, attractive, successful, witty, well-liked, artistic, and a good cook....and men are attracted to her.



Geogia is self-conscious about becoming intimate with anyone, though, because she's gained a few pounds and is no longer a young college coed. Does the right man for Georgia come along? Does Georgia set the right course for her future? You'll have to read the book to find out.

An array of interesting ancillary characters round out the novel, including Georgia's optometry partner Lily;



the optometry practice's Asian-American office manager Marina;



a well-dressed art student called Mercury, who's hired to help Marina;



a pizza delivery boy called Free;



mama Earlene's fiancé Grover; and more.



I enjoyed the novel, though there seem to be a few plot holes, with men appearing in Georgia's life, then disappearing without follow up. Nevertheless, many readers - especially 'women of a certain age' - would probably like the book, which posits that it's never too late to change your life.

Rating: 3.5 stars